What is the most difficult pitch to hit?

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Jul 29, 2013
6,799
113
North Carolina
The most difficult pitch to hit is the one she just set you up to throw! Her pitch, the one she'll throw in any count, at any time!

Little side story....
This has been quite a few years ago, USC Upstate was hosting a tournament at Tyger River in Spartanburg, SC, this was just after regionals when Alabama had just sent them home, they had a very strong year! Me and Anna were pretty familiar with several players on a first name basis.

Two particular players were under a tent taking money at the gate entrance to the field we were playing at. After some small talk and congratulating them on a great season, I ended with one question.....

Which would you two rather face, straight gas or a great spinner? Both without a second of hesitation said straight gas, bring the heat anytime! Both of these players were all conference and one was an All-American, serious players and real deal hitters! Just a little inside the minds of two fantastic hitters who know how dangerous high spin rate pitchers are.
 
Jun 8, 2016
16,118
113
The most difficult pitch to hit is the one she just set you up to throw! Her pitch, the one she'll throw in any count, at any time!

Little side story....
This has been quite a few years ago, USC Upstate was hosting a tournament at Tyger River in Spartanburg, SC, this was just after regionals when Alabama had just sent them home, they had a very strong year! Me and Anna were pretty familiar with several players on a first name basis.

Two particular players were under a tent taking money at the gate entrance to the field we were playing at. After some small talk and congratulating them on a great season, I ended with one question.....

Which would you two rather face, straight gas or a great spinner? Both without a second of hesitation said straight gas, bring the heat anytime! Both of these players were all conference and one was an All-American, serious players and real deal hitters! Just a little inside the minds of two fantastic hitters who know how dangerous high spin rate pitchers are.

I am sure I could find two women that say bald guys with big noses are attractive if I tried hard enough.

Out of curiosity do you think they knew that Anna spun the ball....(be honest.. ;) )
 
Sep 19, 2018
953
93
understanding this is not going to last forever, but your DD is first year 12. If her velocity is anything above average, Fastball at the top of the zone. Being able to throw a high strike and then just out of the strike zone. No doubt she is going to miss and some of those are going to get hit hard. However, she will also get A LOT of swings and misses.
 

sluggers

Super Moderator
Staff member
May 26, 2008
7,132
113
Dallas, Texas
Riseball is a tough one to hit.

A pitcher doesn't need many pitches to be good/effective.

Watch the CWS and you won't see many riseballs.

In the women's game, the riseball is an easy pitch to drive if the batter knows the pitch is coming. If the pitcher falls into any kind of pattern, she will have a lot of trouble.

Hitting a ball hard is about getting the swing plane of the bat on the same plane as the pitch. In the women's game, the riseball trajectory is horizontal as it crosses the plate. (In the men's game, the rise still has an upward trajectory over the plate.)

If the batter can level out her swing, she can really nail the pitch. And, given how hot the bats are, that results in a lot of homers off riseballs.

The other problem is that most pitchers can't throw one for a strike and they "start them" too high. If the kid lays off the high stuff, it's pretty simple. (Yes, I know its hard to get them to lay off of a high pitch.)

I helped a team that faced an all-state riseball pitcher. I think she had the most Ks in the state that year. She had a real simple pattern. Fastballs until she got a strike, then rises until the count evened, and then back to fastballs. (Oh, I'm sure she thought she was throwing curves and screws, but they were all FBs.) Her rises were usually at the arm pit.

Level swing, expect the ball at the arm pits, and be patient. The team smoked her.
 
Sep 19, 2018
953
93
We've gone far afield from when pitch should a first year 12u pitcher learn.

However, it all comes down to quality of pitch and execution. Change ups can be easy. sure when it is left up in the zone and there is no deception. There were lots of MLB hitters that would sit on Pedro's change and still miss it by 3 feet. Everyone knew what Mariano was throwing, but location and late movement meant knowing did not really matter.
 

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